North by Northwest (1959) - Connections - IMDb North by Northwest (1959) Connections Showing all 294 items actors heads are changed with politician heads References Cary Grant whistles title song while hiding in Eva Marie Saint Chicago hotel room. Referenced in Sweeney! (1977) both john thaw & cary grant's characters are force fed a bottle of liquor by the villains and put back into their vehicles to drive away and have an 'accident' Someone's Watching Me! (1978) (TV Movie) The opening titles are a distinct reference to the 1959 Hitchcock film; with an animated grid fading into the face of a large building. Arizona Dream (1993) Paul runs away from Elaine's plane, just like Cary Grant did in North by Northwest, and says to himself that he hates that film. In another scene, Paul says he'll watch that film and kill himself during the plane scene, and that he hates that film.

Tango (1993) when Vincent attack the lover of his wife with the plane the movie copies North by Northwest (plane against man near a cornfeld...) [sorry for bad english] Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: North By Northwest North By Northwest 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,489 Price:$9.88+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime Your rating( Clear )Rate this item 240 people found this helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars"This can't be good, we're on top of the monument . . " ByAmazon Customeron April 22, 2000 One of the best of Hitchcock (although as far as his films go, Hitch probably has the best track record of any director living or dead). This film is basically the original "Fugitive" and follows pretty closely the plot to his "The 39 Steps" from 1935 - a man is mistaken for a CIA agent and is caught in a "deadly game of cat and mouse," as it were.

I LOVE the music and the visuals that start out the film - it makes me wish I had been alive to see it in a movie theater in the 50's. And although this film is over 2 hours long, there's no way you can be bored - the suspense is so intense you'll be chewing your nails the whole time (I did the first time I saw it). Cary Grant is excellent as always, James Mason plays one of the most sinister of Hitchcock's villains (I would LOVE to have this guy's voice) and Eva Marie Saint looks gorgeous and plays her part well. I also enjoyed seeing Martin Landau in an early role as one of James Mason's henchmen and Jessie Royce Landis (the mother from "To Catch a Thief") as Grant's mother (although both were very near the same age at the time). And I love any film score by Bernard Herrmann - this guy should have had a mantle covered with awards, but as luck would have it, most of his scores went not only un-awarded but un-nominated (as this one did).

By all means, if you don't own it, pick it up today - and by the way, good job for FINALLY releasing it on DVD, MGM. 23 people found this helpful 3.0 out of 5 starsGreat movie, Bad DVD/unplayable ByT. Grafon February 25, 2008 The movie itself is excellent, and the way in which the DVD was made as for menu was fine, BUT, there appeared to be a problem with the manufacture of the DVD disc itself. I purchased the movie and watched it, but right at the middle of the film (during the auction house scene) the DVD would become unreadable, with only bits of sound or a refreshed frame here and there. The unreadable nature continued for all chapters to the end of the movie (thus, the second layer was unreadable, as the first played perfectly). I returned the disc for replacement, and the second DVD had the exact same flaw at the exact same time. Thus, a manufacturing defect. Problem reproduced on 2 DVD players, and in a new computer as well. Good movie, good menus, bad discs.

This movie is one of Hollywood's most enjoyable thrillers it is ever better in this State-of-Art Restoration. This is also Carry Grants fourth and final teaming with the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock. This movie is a all time classic. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the older classic movies. 0Comment | 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Comment Paste the product's web address below: Product not found. Only products offered on Amazon can be linked. Select What's this? What are product links? In the text of your review, you can link directly to any product offered on Amazon.com. To insert a product link, follow these steps: 1. Find the product you want to reference on Amazon.com 2. Copy the web address of the product 3. Click Insert product link 4. Paste the web address in the box 5. Click Select 6. Selecting the item displayed will insert text that looks like this: [[ASIN:B00X4WHP5EAmazon Echo]] 7.

When your review is displayed on Amazon.com, this text will be transformed into a hyperlink, like so: Amazon Echo You are limited to 10 product links in your review, and your link text may not be longer than 256 characters. Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Showing 0 of 0 comments Sort by: Format: Blu-ray | Verified Purchase Love the film but feel like the presentation of this set for a 50th anniversary package could have been better. Why? There are a few extras, there's a nice book built in to the set and the film looks good. It just seems like one of Hitchcock's better films (not his best) deserved better treatment. Not knowing what might be available for other extras makes it difficult to say what else should be here. Maybe a more formal package with a separate booklet (sort of like the Criterion Collections series of films). Maybe a few outtakes if available. The movie itself, while not my personal favorite Hitchcock, holds up nicely because it looks so good.

Cary Grant is excellent in his role as the ad man suddenly faced with disaster due to a case of mistaken identity. The crop dusting sequence is top notch and the fight at Mt. Rushmore is well done though the segment still remains, to me at least, not the best use of effects. A set worth buying, especially if you haven't experienced North by Northwest yet. 0Comment | 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Comment Format: Blu-ray | Verified Purchase This is probably in my top 3 for Hitchcock films for many reasons. The best that I can think if is that it is perhaps the best example of cinematic drama. For those not familiar with the plot, the story is a gripping mistaken-identity thriller: advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken as a government agent by the sinister Philip Vandamm (the ever-amazing James Mason). Vandamm is convinced Thornhill is after him, and tries to dispose of the strawman. Thornill eventually finds himself at the center of a complicated espionage plot which takes him across the country, ending with a spectacular climax atop the Mt. Rushmore.

What makes this film nearly perfect for me is the way it's paced. It's a study in economy, since we're told very little at the beginning (parallel to Thornhill's ignorance), and more is revealed slowly over time. Hitchcock and screenwriter Ernst Lehman weave a carefully crafted tale, and Hitch's fluid direction is superb as Thornhill is placed in increasingly dangerous situations. Punctuating this danger is Bernard Hermann's tense and frightful score, and the blu-ray audio mix does it justice. The film may very well be Grant's best performance -- certainly his best in a Hitchcock film (his 3rd or 4th collaboration w/ Hitchcock, I believe.) He is his rakish, humorous self, but in N/NW he displays a certain physicality (Grant was a circus performer before becoming an actor) that makes him somewhat of an action hero. (Grant also has the greatest business suit of all time, which somehow survives all his encounters with little more than a dusty lapel.) I appreciated how well the film was transferred to blu-ray, with very rich colors, nice deep blacks and sharp images. Some flaws are to be expected since the film is over 50 years old.

My only complaint is the cardboard keep-case -- I really wish studios would dispense with "fancy" cases and just put use good old plastic snap cases instead. The supplements seem fairly well rounded, but are in standard def. I'm looking forward to hearing the commentary by Lehmann, although I wish there were more commentary tracks available, perhaps from a learned critic such as Roger Ebert. (Ebert's commentary on "Citizen Kane", for instance, is excellent.) In all, this is an exceptional classic film that deserves to be in any collection, and now in a blu-ray format that doesn't disappoint. Format: DVD | Verified Purchase I'm not sure about why the more recent reviewers are having so much trouble with their dvds and I can only assume that the recent batch out of the factory has got major product quality issues as my copy works just fine albeit I bought mine at least a couple of years ago. The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound quality as well as the picture quality of my dvd is excellent too. People have to recognise that most of Hitch's films combine elements of humour together with suspense and thrills and what makes this film great is the nice balance of these that's apparent.

The witty dialogue and snappy one-liner jokes delivered by the brilliant Cary Grant still hold up well today. The Kafka-esque storyline is meant to be so outrageous as to be funny and if taken in that spirit many of the scenes are very entertaining indeed. The ludicrousness of trying to kill "George Kaplan" by filling him with alcohol and then helping him drive off a mountain's edge, being chased by a crop-duster in the middle of nowhere, etc make fans of Kafka's works like "The Trial" and "Metamorphosis" who can appreciate the genre truly appreciate and enjoy this film masterpiece. Granted some of the scenes do not make much logical sense such as when Eve Kendell talks to Martin Landau's character from a phone booth while he is doing so from another phone in the same line of booths and the strange way the crop duster slams into the oil tanker but that's just the point with Kafka-esques situations in that they are supposed to be ridiculous. Despite these screenplay "shortcomings" the acting is very good and I liked the camera angles very much for an overall very good film. Great combination of humour, thrills and spills, tension and drama makes this a classic film for the ages. Highly recommended!

Updated 11 May 2011: Amazon will not let me review the 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray Book Edition separately and so I'll have to append it here. This film does benefit from the 1080p treatment picture quality-wise although the improvement is not a vast one as compared with the DVD release that I wrote about before. There are also a few frames interspersed here and there which are poor but overall it is still an improvement albeit not massively so over the DVD. The sound quality however is an improvement worth shouting about coming in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround sound although there are some weak audio spots at certain parts especially when it comes to dialogue. The picture book is nice to behold and will please collectors and fans alike. The special features are what really make this reissue worth shouting about as we have various directors like Friedkin, Scorcese and Spielberg talking about how Hitchcock influenced them and you even see spots in their movies where they borrowed from elements of Hitch's work.

Overall, this is a worthy upgrade of the film more so for the great special feature documentaries than for the picture and sound quality which despite being still better in 1080p than the dvd release is not a great leap better in my opinion. Recommended. Format: Blu-ray | Verified Purchase If you are reading this you already know North by Northwest is a great film and have likely seen it many times. If that is not the case, I envy you since you are in for a first-time treat. If you have a blu ray player stop reading this and just buy it!! Most people reading this are looking for information on how good it looks on blu-ray so I'll skip the plot synopsis and further accolades for the movie itself. The transfer is far better than any I have seen for this movie. I have seen it before on Laserdisc (both the old diamond stylus and the "modern" Laserdisc from the 1990s) as well as DVD and I always felt that the colors were muddy / degraded on those versions. The blu-ray is well worth owning and provides a level of detail I had never before seen.

It is possible to read signs in places like the airport and train station, the detail is that good. The colors seem much less muted though they do not rival a modern film or even the eye-popping color seen in 1960s vintage film/TV shows like The Prisoner and Star Trek which I also own and highly recommend. Another reviewer noted this film was done in Metrocolor (which I am not familiar with but which is likely why colors not so bold). There are a few spots in the film, one reaction take of Martin Landau's character, for example, which seem to be of much lower quality - but it is clear this is a problem with source material and not an issue with the transfer. Overall, I feel this is a great buy for anyone who knows and loves this movie - and come to think of it I don't think I know anyone who has seen it who is not a fan!

I am pleased it is so reasonably priced (it is thankfully NOT an $80 box set with a miniature plastic Mount Rushmore, notepad with "Think Thin" printed on every page or other nonsense, as another reviewer or poster noted) Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: North By Northwest - Special Edition (Widescreen) [VHS] North By Northwest - Special Edition (Widescreen) [VHS] 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,498 Price:$8.45+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime Your rating( Clear )Rate this item 5 people found this helpful 5.0 out of 5 starsThe ultimate case of mistaken identity? Perhaps Hitchcock's all-time best action-thriller. ByHose Knows (aka Jinzo Ningen)on December 6, 2015 BOTTOM LINE: This terrific film is Alfred Hitchcock at the absolute pinnacle of his game. And that's saying something! The plot is full of inspiring twists & turns, the action & adventure are over the top, and the film never lets up until the final fade-out. If you've never seen a Hitchcock film before, this is a great one to get your feet wet with.

5 STAR film, 4 STAR Blu-ray. THE STORY: An unassuming advertising executive is mistaken for an undercover government operative by some very unsavory characters. In less than 24 hours his entire, comfortably predictable routine world completely destroyed and he himself in mortal danger. It will take all of his fast-thinking "baffle them with BS" advertising skills, some stealthy assistance from mysterious double agent, and more than a little luck... if he hopes to stay a step ahead of the ruthless criminals intent on rubbing him out. THOUGHTS (contains minor spoilers): One of my favorite Hitchcock films. Everyone is perfectly cast. Super suave acting legend Cary Grant was never better than here, as delightfully dapper (and rather daft) New York ad exec Roger Thornhill. Eva-Maire Saint is terrific, smart and smoldering; one of the sexiest women to ever cross paths with Grant. Their chemistry is terrific. Leo G. Carroll is wonderful as the crafty government head honcho who seems indifferent to whether or not the innocent Thornhill will survive the nightmarish web in which he's become entangled. Of course any hero is only as good as his nemesis.

Here, the classy, always unflappable James Mason is in top form as the sophisticated traitor who has secrets to sell. A young Martin Landau is disturbingly evil as one of Mason's high-strung, coldly-cunning henchmen. The film takes us from one great set-up to another - including the deservedly legendary crop duster sequence - all culminating in a breathless chase across the presidential faces on Mount Rushmore. It's equal parts tension & fun. A thoroughly entertaining motion picture experience. A masterpiece that is equal parts style & suspense, by one of the medium's true all-time masters. NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a genuine classic that belongs in every movie fan's collection, no doubt about it. THE BLU-RAY: Sadly, I was not as impressed by the remastered Blu-ray as I had hoped to be. Don't misunderstand me. The remaster is a fine one, but NORTH BY NORTHWEST doesn't look anywhere near as amazing as the recent remaster of Hitchcock's THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY. That film looks absolutely astonishing. NBNW looks good, but not great. There are several excellent bonus features included, which increases the collectability if you're a film buff.

Even if you're not, the upgraded picture and improved sound are worth a double-dip if you already own the film in DVD format. 3.0 out of 5 starsWith Love. " I think any James Bond fan would ... ByBrian James Bobbitton July 21, 2015 This is a very exciting film. The musical score and the constant theme of movement make this a very, well, cosmopolitan film (train travel, classy fashion and lots of cocktail scenes). It's rare to find an American action film where public transportation plays a major role. The train in this film is as crucial as the train in the James Bond classic "From Russia, With Love." I think any James Bond fan would love this movie. Some of the acting and some of the lines are hokey, and by today's standards, it might be a slow film. I got a little bored at parts. But there are very exciting sequences, with an iconic imagery of the Midwest plains and of Mount Rushmore. Cary Grant is one classy dude. He could have made for a great Bruce Wayne. Women who like George Clooney will swoon for him. A good film.

Amazon.co.uk:Customer Reviews: North by Northwest [DVD] [1959] North by Northwest [DVD] [1959] 4.7 out of 5 stars 280 Price:£5.99+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime Your rating( Clear )Rate this item 125 people found this helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars"...Expedient Exaggeration..." - North By Northwest on BLU RAY And Which Issue To Buy? ByMark Barryon 17 November 2009 *** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BLU RAY REISSUES *** As you watch the credits of Hitch's 1959 masterpiece "North By Northwest" roll up on the screen in all their resplendent VistaVision Technicolor glory - the shiny, cold and aloof glass panelling of a New York skyscraper acts as their backdrop. It's a brilliant touch - because combined with Bernard Herrmann's staccato score - it ratchets up the tension - and also subliminally suggests to the viewer that some poor John Doe is about to get rightly and royally screwed by big business and big Government - or both.

And of course - mistaken for a UN diplomat called George Caplin - our hapless hero George Thornhill (played by Cary Grant) - does just that. Then when the opening credits end and Cary exits the lift with his secretary (Doreen Lang) all suited-n-booted and looking dapper enough to lick - another element kicks in - the extraordinary picture quality... State-of-the art frame-by-frame Lowry Digital restoration has taken place here and the result is that the print is just BEAUTIFUL. I raved in a UK Listmania list some 3 years ago about how good the DVD looked - well this BLU RAY is way better - and at times just jaw-dropping to look at. Icing on the cake is that this 50th Anniversary BLU RAY reissue (Nov 2009) also adds on some superlative new features which are just as good as the film itself. Here's the full list: 1. Commentary by Ernest Lehman (Original Script-Writer) 2.

New 2009 Documentary "The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style" (over 50 minutes - featuring comments from directors Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, Frances Lawrence, Guillermo del Toro and many more) 3. Previously seen but superlative feature-length profile "Cary Grant: A Class Apart" (over 1 and a half hours) 4. New 2009 feature called "North By Northwest: One For The Ages" examining the movies innovations and influences 5. Feature called "The Making Of North By Northwest" from 2000 hosted by Eva Marie Saint 6. Music Only Audio Track 7. Stills Gallery 8. Theatrical Trailers & TV Spots 9. Internet link to Warner Brothers A whole bunch of things combine to make NBN work - a great story by Ernest Lehman, superb night and day locations, immaculate period clothes, the bulbous gas-guzzling cars, the art-deco buildings, the interiors of wealthy homes and the deeply luxurious dining cars of long-distance 1950's trains.

And to top all of that, you get genuine old-school Hollywood star power in the form of James Mason, Martin Landau, Leo Carroll and the luminous love interest Eva Marie Saint. And of course the effortlessly suave and charming Cary Grant - arguably the best leading man Tinseltown ever produced. Throw in the tension, wit and camera angles of Hitchcock at the helm - and you're on a winner. But your eyes keep coming back to how this BLU RAY shines. There are so many little scenes that now look sumptuous - Alfred missing the bus just at the end of the opening credits in his famous cameo scene - the garish colours of Fifties New York taxis, the marble of the hotel lobby Cary is meeting clients in. Then there's the Townsend home and gardens as the villains motor up the gravel driveway to the front door, the three dapper suits of the boys as they parry in the library room inside (Mason, Landau and Grant) and the clarity of the night scene where they put a drunk Cary in a stolen car and try to drive him off a cliff.

Further on there's the colour of the fields in the legendary crop-duster scene, hanging off the Mount Rushmore monument by your fingernails - even Eva Saint Marie's beautiful red dress in the hotel room as she stands by the door while Cary showers in the bathroom... I could go on. If I was to nitpick - some scenes quite deliberately have Grant and Saint with an almost halo-like shine around them (soft focus to make them look better) and can at times make the print look just a teeny bit soft. But other than that - this is exemplary stuff and a jewel in Warners Brothers considerable filmic Crown. Up there with "The Italian Job", "Zulu", "Goldfinger", "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "The African Queen", "To Catch A Thief" and "Back To The Future" in terms of top quality restoration (see my reviews for each) - "North By Northwest" is a triumph on BLU RAY. And the superb additional extras only make you feel that Warners are to be praised for a job well done.

As to which release to buy on BLU RAY - (as of April 2014) there are a number of releases for UK fans: 1. The Standard UK release of 2009 (50th Anniversary Edition cover) is in a simple clipcase with no booklet (Amazon Reference B002CYIR5W) 2. The UK 2013 Steelbook Reissue Version uses the old Poster artwork on the front and has no booklet either (Amazon UK reference B00A6UH9PS) 3. The American DIGIBOOK release of 2009 (50th Anniversary Edition cover) on Warner Brothers however has a Hardback Sleeve and a beautiful 46-page booklet attached inside. It's also Region Free so will play on all machines. If you've the few quid - opt for this - it often retails for around a ten spot and is gorgeous to look at and own (Amazon UK reference B0017HMF6W). PS: For anyone interested (as I said above) - the American NBN is part of the following list of American DIGIBOOK BLU RAY titles on Warner Brothers.

Most are REGION FREE and each has a beautiful booklet - which few if any of the UK versions have: All The President's Men (1976) Amadeus (1984) 4 people found this helpful 3.0 out of 5 starsNot entirely entranced with the quality of this Blu-ray ByFrank Don 14 October 2013 [This review is for the Blu-ray + Ultraviolet version released by Warner 2013] I won't bother with commenting on the merits of the film itself - as already attested by other reviewers, it is an excellent Hitchcock film for the period, originally shot on 70mm emulsion, and with a memorable musical score.

Also, we are dealing with a film produced in 1958, but this is actually where my issue is: If we look at comparable VistaVision material of the era eg To Catch a Thief (1954) or The Searchers (1956), I think that this Warner 2013 release is merely a 'tweek' of the 2006 DVD master - and an indifferent one at that - an upscaling which actually has lost discernible colour saturation and depth from the std 2006 DVD - which is/was surprisingly good. Thus Warner's claim of 'State-of-the-Art Restoration' must be viewed with some disbelief, and probably applies to the std DVD (which as stated already is impressive for 576p) By contrast, Paramount's 2012 Blu-ray treatment of 'To Catch a Thief' or Warner's own 'The Searchers' are veritable benchmarks in quality, especially the latter which Warner describes as 'New Digital High-Definition Transfer'. I believe this. Given that Blu-ray is in a death struggle with HD on demand, it perhaps behoves their principals to keep a tighter rein on the quality.

If they allow studios to simply upscale the std DVD stock without any attempt at meaningful re-mastering, they could find they are doing themselves a disservice in the long run. In summary: Great movie, mediocre Blu-ray ‘North by Northwest’: Quite Possibly the Most Entertaining Hitchcock Ever • Cinephilia & Beyond Cinematography , Documentary , Filmmaking , Interview , Screenwriting 101 ‘North by Northwest’: Quite Possibly the Most Entertaining Hitchcock Ever Cary Grant, mistaken for a nonexistent secret agent, is abducted from a business lunch, shot in the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel, in the opening scene of North by Northwest (1959). Production still photographer: Kenny Bell © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer I want to do a Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures, allegedly announced screenwriter Ernest Lehman, after his friend, composer Bernard Herrmann recommended him to Alfred Hitchcock.

This inspired idea was born at the time when Lehman and the famed filmmaker were experiencing a sort of a writer’s block—they were supposed to be making The Wreck of the Mary Deare for MGM, but when Lehman honestly stated he felt there was nothing he could do about advancing with the script, Hitchcock simply suggested they did something original. Directly out of this writer’s block came North by Northwest, one of the most entertaining movies of the period and, perhaps, one of the most stylish chase thrillers of all time. That Lehman wasn’t misguided when he announced his ambition mentioned at the start of this paragraph is clearly seen even upon a superficial glance on this project: we have an innocent man cornered into a grave, life-threatening situation thanks to the mistaken identity plot device, we have the typical Hitchcock blonde, played marvelously by Eva Marie Saint, we have the master’s signature cameo appearance, and then there’s the technical mastery distinctive for Hitchcock’s works, as well as his consummate skill at manipulating the audience’s emotions. North by Northwest encompasses all the best elements of Hitchcock’s opus, transforming an intriguing, nail-biting but surprisingly humorous script into quite possibly the most enjoyable Hitchcock ever.

The film went through several title changes during development, being known as The Man in Lincoln’s Nose, Breathless, In a Northwesterly Direction… The final title was hardly Hitchcock and Lehman’s first choice, but they simply failed to come up with an entry that satisfied them completely. The lead role, that of an advertising executive whose comfortable life is turned upside down when he is mistaken for a secret agent, went to the ever-charming Cary Grant, even though Hitchcock’s old friend and collaborator James Stewart allegedly eagerly wanted the part. As huge Stewart fans, we believe he would have been great as the troubled, charismatic “ordinary man in an extraordinary situation,” but who can possibly say Hitchcock dropped the ball with sticking with Grant? Even though MGM tried to force Cyd Charisse down Hitch’s throat, and despite the fact he briefly mused over casting Grace Kelly or Elizabeth Taylor, he chose Saint for the lead female role. Bernard Herrmann’s contribution to the film was not restricted to the fateful recommendation that put Hitchcock in touch with Lehman: he composed a superb score that matches the adventures and turmoil featured on the screen perfectly.

The acclaimed graphic designer Saul Bass provided an exceptional and highly memorable opening title sequence, Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief director of photography Robert Burke operated the camera, while George Tomasini, the first-rate editor who previously worked on The Birds, Psycho, Rear Window and Vertigo, pieced everything together flawlessly. The way Hitchcock skillfully plays with the viewer’s emotions has been aptly demonstrated in the famous crop duster scene, where Grant’s character is hunted down by a menacing airplane in the middle of a field, in bright sunlight, with nowhere to hide. This might be rightfully considered the trademark image of North by Northwest, but one should not forget this film abounds in numerous other unforgettable scenes: just consider the Mount Rushmore sequence at the climax, or the humorous final shot of a train entering a tunnel as we presume the two lead characters within the train start getting all hot and sweaty. North by Northwest is painlessly easy to find pleasure in. A monumentally important screenplay. Dear every screenwriter, read Ernest Lehman’s screenplay for North by Northwest [ PDF ]. (NOTE: For educational and research purposes only). The DVD/Blu-ray of the film is available at Amazon and other online retailers. Absolutely our highest recommendation.

Though Ernest Lehman is best known today for his work in films (he has won more Best Screenplay Awards from the Writer’s Guild than anyone in the Guild’s history), his collection, which consists of over 2500 items from his personal and professional files, covers an entire career that spans over forty years in New York and Hollywood, not only as a screenwriter but also as a novelist, short story writer, journalist, motion picture producer and director. Lehman met Hitchcock through their mutual friend, composer Bernard Herrmann. North by Northwest was Ernest Lehman’s only original screenplay. Hitchcock had an idea of a chase across the face of Mount Rushmore. The idea of a man being mistaken for a nonexistent secret agent was suggested to Hitchcock by journalist Otis L. Guernsey Jr. That was the starting point for Lehman’s screenplay: the chase on Mount Rushmore, mistaken identity, and the United Nations building. — The Ernest Lehman Collection ; Ernest Lehman’s notes One temporary title for North by Northwest was Breathless!, which was later used for the famous 1960 French film. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“One day, Hitch said to me, ‘I’ve always wanted to do a scene in the middle of nowhere—where there’s absolutely nothing. You’re out in the open, and there’s nothing all around you. The camera can turn around 360 degrees, and there’s nothing there but this one man standing all alone—because the villains, who are out to kill him, have lured him out to this lonely spot.’ Then Hitch continued, ‘Suddenly, a tornado comes along and…’ ‘But Hitch,’ I interrupted, ‘how do the villains create a tornado?’ and he had no idea. So I wondered, ‘What if a plane comes out of the sky?’ And he liked it immediately, and he said, ‘Yes, it’s a crop duster. We can plant some crops nearby.’ So we planted a fake cornfield in Bakersfield and did the scene that way. And, like you said, it became a very famous sequence. As a matter of fact, that’s how I knew that Cary Grant had died. Every channel on TV was showing that shot of Cary running away from the plane.

It’s strange, isn’t it, that such a distinguished career should be remembered mostly for that one shot?” — An Interview with Ernest Lehman The cinematographer’s camera angles for the crop dusting sequence from Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. All 61 bullet points represent a specific camera angle, a specific shot, as detailed below. The iconic sequence was a combination of location footage and studio-based rear projection. The book, Casting a Shadow: Creating the Alfred Hitchcock Film , by Will Schmenner and Corinne Granof is a Cinephile’s delight, filled with all manner of delightful insider info to how Hitchcock actually made movies. Courtesy of The Big Picture . As seen here, seamless rear projection was used to create the illusion of Cary Grant being pursued by a crop duster in North by Northwest. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In this 1965 interview, Hitchcock discusses—partly in French—La Mort aux Trousses (French title for North by Northwest), and in particular the famous “that’s funny—he’s dusting crops where there ain’t no crops” scene. Production designer Robert F.

Boyle created these sketches of James Mason’s modern hideout, the Vandamm house, which Cary Grant scales in North by Northwest. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A huge presidential nose offers a sense of scale for the Mount Rushmore sets created for the climax of North by Northwest. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This contact sheet shows the optical trickery used to show Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint descending Mount Rushmore in North by Northwest. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. English actor James Mason became one of Hitchcock’s most memorable villains as Vandamm in North by Northwest. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. STORYBOARDS FOR NORTH BY NORTHWEST “Storyboarding is really an illustrator’s work for the director. A motion picture illustrator puts pictures on paper and puts them on boards. In storyboarding a script for a Hitchcock film, the illustrator is told what pictures to put on the boards by the script, which has benefited from my conferences with the director. Of course, I participate in what is going to appear on that storyboard, because even without the storyboard the script describes exactly what is going to be on the screen. Hitch would have it no other way.

The script even describes the size of the shot, whether it’s a medium or a tight close-up, whether the camera pulls back and pans to the right as the character walks toward the door, whether it tilts slightly down and shoots through the open doorway getting the helicopter as the lights go on outside. That’s why Hitch says it’s a bore for him to get the picture on the screen, because it has all been done already in his office.” — Dialogue on Film: Ernest Lehman Storyboard sequence by Robert F. Boyle for the re-edited ending of North by Northwest. THE MAKING OF NORTH BY NORTHWEST “Even though it was early October, the climate was like a sweltering desert. This was one of the only times Hitch wore short sleeves on the set. For three days, poor Cary ran with a stunt plane swooping down at him or so it would seem. As nobody would think of putting Cary Grant in the position of getting decapitated by a plane some trick photography was used.

I feel like a traitor telling you this but first the crew shot a swooping plane from a ditch and then, later, Cary was shot on a sound stage jumping into a fake ditch with the plane footage on a process screen behind him.” — Eva Marie Saint Hosted by Eva Marie Saint, the film’s leading lady, this 40-minute documentary of Alfred Hitchcock’s only MGM film combines interviews (Martin Landau, Patricia Hitchcock, production designer Robert F.Boyle and screenwriter Ernest Lehman), movie clips and behind the scenes photos to make for a fascinating look at one of the silver screen’s glowing gems. HITCHCOCK’S CAMEO During the opening title sequence, which shows New Yorkers rushing home from work, Hitchcock just misses catching his bus. The cameo was filmed near to 347 Madison Avenue, New York City. Courtesy of The Hitchcock Zone . An excerpt from The Man on Lincoln’s Nose, the Academy Award-nominated Documentary Short Subject about pioneer art director Robert F. Boyle (North by Northwest, The Birds, Fiddler on the Roof). This 6-minute excerpt features Bob Boyle and director Norman Jewison on location scouting and the design process for Fiddler on the Roof.

THE MUSIC OF BERNARD HERRMANN This kaleidoscopic compilation of soundtracks by Bernard Herrmann scored for film, television and radio presents a feature-length overview of this incredibly unique composer’s wide-ranging and distinctive style. Working with directors such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese, during a career that spanned over forty years, Herrmann created scores of such innovative and emotional magnitude that notions of sound and music in cinema have never been the same. The breadth and scope of Herrmann’s ingenious composing, arranging and orchestrating talent is on full display here, from the use of the theremin in The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), to the all-string ‘black & white’ sound for Psycho (1960), and the whistled main title of The Twisted Nerve (1968). Stream the mix below or download it here . Total running time: 80 minutes. Courtesy of MUBI’s on-going series, Notebook Soundtrack Mixes . CARY GRANT: A CLASS APART Elegant. Witty. Stylish. A totally original talent.

‘Everyone wants to be Cary Grant… even I want to be Cary Grant,’ he was fond of saying. Born 100 years ago into dismal circumstances in Bristol, England, Archibald Leach got his start touring in vaudeville and eventually arrived in New York in 1920. He walked on stilts at Coney Island and sold neckties on midtown street corners before landing small parts, in route to Hollywood. He hit it big in 1933 as Mae West’s leading man in She Done Him Wrong, followed by Sylvia Scarlett and the emergence of his classy on-screen persona—and the invention of that persona off-screen as well. He worked with such directors as George Cukor, Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks in such films as Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, North by Northwest, Notorious, and I Was a Male War Bride and opposite every top Hollywood female star, including Grace Kelly, Katherine Hepburn, Kim Novak, Ingrid Bergman, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. He remains one of the most adored actors in film history—whose greatest role was probably himself.

— American Masters: Cary Grant: A Class Apart Above: you don’t usually associate the words “mussed” and “drunk” with Cary Grant, but here they are during the production of North by Northwest. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “Have you planned your vacation yet? You’ve a choice between sand and sunburn or mountain-climbing and the Charlie-horse. I find it all very elevating, but we should all have some kind of holiday. So my suggestion is a quiet little tour, say, about 2000 miles. I have just made a motion picture, North By Northwest, to show you some of these delights. And the ideal place to start our holiday fun trip is New York, where Cary Grant can go places and do things. You don’t find a tasteful little murder on every guided tour, now do you? But this means we must leave Manhattan.” — A guided tour with Alfred Hitchcock Here are several photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Production still photographer: Kenny Bell © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Get Cinephilia & Beyond in your inbox by signing in Email Tags “…I find it all very *enervating*…” (not “elevating”) – love your website, thanks!!! iain North by Northwest (1959) - IMDb IMDb Doctor Strange Confirmed to Appear in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ 23 hours ago There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.

Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 36 titles created 02 Jan 2013 a list of 21 titles created 03 Jul 2014 a list of 30 titles created 25 Apr 2015 a list of 25 titles created 01 Sep 2015 a list of 31 titles created 10 months ago Title: North by Northwest (1959) 8.4/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations. See more awards » Videos A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother. Director: Alfred Hitchcock An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance. Director: Orson Welles A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder - a theory that he plans to implement. Director: Alfred Hitchcock In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications. Director: Michael Curtiz A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.

Director: Billy Wilder Two young men strangle their "inferior" classmate, hide his body in their apartment, and invite his friends and family to a dinner party as a means to challenge the "perfection" of their crime. Director: Alfred Hitchcock An insurance representative lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions. Director: Billy Wilder When two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in. Director: Billy Wilder Edit Storyline Madison Avenue advertising man Roger Thornhill finds himself thrust into the world of spies when he is mistaken for a man by the name of George Kaplan. Foreign spy Philip Vandamm and his henchman Leonard try to eliminate him but when Thornhill tries to make sense of the case, he is framed for murder. Now on the run from the police, he manages to board the 20th Century Limited bound for Chicago where he meets a beautiful blond, Eve Kendall, who helps him to evade the authorities. His world is turned upside down yet again when he learns that Eve isn't the innocent bystander he thought she was.

Not all is as it seems however, leading to a dramatic rescue and escape at the top of Mt. Rushmore. Written by garykmcd The Master of Suspense presents a 2000-mile chase across America! See more » Genres: 26 September 1959 (Japan) See more » Also Known As: Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia While on location at Mt. Rushmore, Eva Marie Saint discovered that Cary Grant would charge fans 15 cents for an autograph. See more » Goofs In older copies, Thornhill's taxi ride with his secretary is a bit too revealing. At points, you are able to see blue sky above their heads while they're still in the cab. Only their exit from the taxi appears to have been shot using a full-length automobile. This mistake (as well as several others) were apparently fixed when the movie was re-mastered for DVD. See more » Quotes See more » Crazy Credits Right after his credit as director during the opening credits, Alfred Hitchcock is running toward the door of the city bus just as it slams shut on him!

See more » Connections It's a Most Unusual Day (1948) Worth it just to see the the crop duster chase 4 April 2004 | by DarthBill (United States) – See all my reviews I can't quite understand how anyone can dislike Alfred Hitchcock's films. Personally, he's one of the few old school talents I find interesting and watchable, even if his work is dated and set in its era (the era when most sets were hopelessly phony). I guess you have to appreciate his themes - dysfunctional relationships between a man and his mother, flawed by essentially innocent men caught up in a web of intrigue, beautiful blonds, comments of authority figures, black humor, etc - to really appreciate Hitchcock. Interestingly, James Stewart was Hitchcock's original choice for the role of Roger Thornhill, the hapless ad man who is mistaken for a spy who doesn't even exist to begin with and is chased half way across the country by villains and authorities for a murder he didn't commit. For one reason or another, Stewart was unavailable and the part went to Cary Grant instead.

Grant seems better suited to the character and the situation than Stewart would have been, but I can easily picture Stewart being chased in the cornfield by the crop duster. Like all Hitchcock films, there are hundreds of things that aren't realistic though set in the real world and lots of highly improbable stuff going on everywhere, but if you give it a chance you'll enjoy it and won't care. Don't miss Eva Marie Saint having to dub over a then lewd line about love, a full stomach and sex. The use of a crop duster may not be the most practical way to kill a man, but it's a great visual representation of the great Hitchcockian examination of "nowhere to run, nowhere to hide". The music and clinging to Mount Rushmore is also memorable. Did I mention the innuendo? 89 of 130 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes

Question: In which film is Cary Grant seen running into a field being pursued by a biplane?
Answer: NORTH BY NORTH WEST